| Abstract: |
The photographic recording of Walworth North Farm was undertaken to accompany a drawn survey by Peter Ryder, Ordnance Survey plan and written description in April 2022, using digital photography. All elevations were photographed as far as possible face-on and from a consistent height and perspective. Where possible, all ground floor record photographs included a scaled ranging pole. Where it was not possible to capture an entire elevation in a single photograph because of the constricted nature of the site, a series of partial elevations were recorded along with an oblique overall view of the full elevation. Subsequently, the visual record of Walworth North Farm was further enhanced by means of a digital 3D laser scan of its principal range carried out in April, 2022. In addition, an attempt was made to research the history of the buildings through locally available historic maps and records which could shed light on the history of the buildings. The farmstead complex at North Farm, Walworth comprises an east-west range of old farm buildings, in three parts, with a farmhouse to the south-east and, between them, various other outbuildings of 19th century origin. With respect to the main farm-buildings range, the list description ascribes the chapel to the early 13th century but the similarities between the plinth and doorway to work at nearby St Edwin’s Church at High Coniscliffe, generally accepted as of the 12th century, make it likely to be earlier. The chapel may have been disused since the Reformation, and has suffered partial rebuilding of the west and north walls, and remodelling as a two-storey farm building in the late-18th or early-19th century, before further alterations in the later-20th century. It is not clear whether the other two parts of the range are of the same date; on the south they seem of one build, but on the north the eastern block seems to be butted up against the wider central one. Neither has any real datable features, but are generally of late-18th or early-19th century character. The adjacent farmhouse, of local Magnesian Limestone, is an east-west rectangle in plan is of somewhat unusual form, made up of a north-south main block at the west end, with two parallel wings extending to the east, and has a complex history. The lower part of the east end of the south-east wing represents a single-storey building, perhaps of late 17th or early 18th century date, but this building was heightened, and perhaps extended west. The main block was then constructed, in better-squared stone, probably in the earlier 19th century, and soon after a farm building was added to infill the re-entrant angle between the Main Block and older south-east wing. Finally, the recent remodelling, when the north-east wing was created in its present form, occurred within the last decade or so. The outbuildings are all relatively late in origin, the earliest appearing appears between publication of the c 1844 tithe map and 1857 1st edition Ordnance Survey (25”:1 mile) map. Whilst the complex as a whole, whilst diminished by some recent demolition works, is of some importance, with the farmhouse showing some particularly early features, it is the former chapel building at the west end of the range which is of singular importance, retaining as it does some interesting internal features and which may now be ascribed to the 12th century, earlier than the list description. Whilst there are no particular threats to the building, it has suffered in recent decades due to adaptations made for use as a farm building, and its continuing function as such renders it vulnerable to accelerated decay. |
